Lowering of beaches in front of coastal structures is widely accepted as a leading
cause of failure. Beach lowering and toe scour is difficult to detect as the receding
tide and storm waves tend to bury this evidence and any damage to structure foundations.

The SCOPAC region includes numerous beach structures at risk of scour, with foundations
of poorly known depth and condition. Improved understanding of the scour risk at
these structures will help SCOPAC members to better manage the scour risk and to
design scour resistant replacements.

The Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership (ESCP) will undertake a scoping study to develop
a cost effective method to determine maximum scour depth in front of coastal structures
during a storm event. The first stage of the project is to conduct a test deployment
at the ESCP’s own risk to confirm the most effective method for installing scour
monitoring equipment into a beach. Subject to a successful test, the ESCP will apply
the SCOPAC funding to undertake a deployment at a seawall structure in winter 2015/16
to measure changes in storm beach levels and maximum scour depth.

Dr Andy Pearce from the ESCP is leading the project and has commenced the scoping
stage, building on the experience of Amanda Holland, a Ph.D student studying short
term beach level changes at Hayling Island. Over the coming months the ESCP will
be identifying an appropriate site within the Partnership frontage to undertake the
pilot deployment over winter 2015/16. Based on the chosen deployment location, the
scour monitor deployment methodology will be developed, in conjunction with local
contractors.